What do I love about it? I love the possibilities of a few new tubes of paint, a handful of good brushes, a blank canvas, and the glimmer of what I hope might be a promising idea. Of course, then comes the hard work, all the decisions. Pale or dark? Thick or thin? Loose or tight? Flat or dimensional? Edges? Patterns? Lines? Textures? Shadows? Each painting is the accumulated result of a thousand decisions. What is my process? Don’t ask me; I only know that I love being up to my elbows in it.

Dr. Heather L. R. Fountain, the creator of Fountain Glass, has shown her work nationally and internationally. She utilizes various kiln-formed glass techniques to achieve extensive and varied works, ranging from jewelry to sculptural pieces. Much of her work is inspired by the ocean, lakes, and forests of Maine, where she has always found peace amid the beauty of nature.

It’s been over 30 years since I first started spending my summers in Maine, and I am continually inspired and awestruck by the beauty around me. I am especially inspired by the beach—by the calm and energy of the water and by the playground it provides us to create lasting memories. These memories are unique to each of us but also common to so many. My work explores this connectivity to the collective emotion, questioning what we see, what we remember, and the emotions these evoke. 

While photographs may occasionally trigger an idea, I never paint from them. I prefer to bend, stretch, and twist things any way they’ll make an interesting composition. My paintings are entirely made-up. They are meant to be iconic rather than descriptive, creating a feeling, an emotional response, with somewhat generic symbols rather than accurately cataloging the particulars of an identifiable person, place, or thing.